Four key aspects to grasp in scientific fox farming

Foxes have very high economic value. Their main product, fox fur, belongs to the long-haired fur category and has the advantages of being tough and wear-resistant, soft and lightweight, warm and attractive; it is a high-quality raw material for making fur products such as fur collars, hats and fur mats. To raise them reasonably and let them create higher value, the following points should be grasped:

(1) Grasp the selection and breeding of fine varieties. As people's aesthetic views improve and the international fur market changes, in the selection and breeding of fox varieties, the following two points should be used as "reference points" for high-quality breeding as much as possible. The general direction:

(1) Select blue foxes or colored foxes with a small body size, fast growth, good fur quality, strong disease resistance and fur that can carry a variety of colors, so as to meet the market's need for a complete range of fox fur colors. (2) Select foxes with a large body size, high reproductive rate, easy raising, bright coat color and fine down varieties, so as to adapt to the market's changes. The retained breeding foxes must undergo a careful selection every year: keep the good breeds, do not keep closely related breeds, and cull the inferior breeds, to ensure the purity and quality of the breeding foxes.

(2) Grasp timely mating. Foxes have only 1 mating season each year, and timing is quite important; if the time is missed, they will fail to conceive. Ordinarily we must observe carefully, grasp the characteristics of the sexual cycle changes of male and female foxes, strictly grasp the estrus period of female foxes, mate the female foxes promptly and accurately, and reasonably draw up a pairing plan according to the individual mating ability and characteristics of the male foxes. At the time of pairing, the fox farm environment must be quiet, and the male foxes must be additionally fed nutrition-rich animal feed, to ensure that the breeding male foxes have healthy body condition and good semen quality.

(3) Grasp reasonable feeding. According to the biological characteristics of foxes such as seasonal reproduction and molting, the whole year can be divided into 8 different feeding periods, including the mating period and gestation period, and feeding management differs in different periods. For example, during the pregnancy of female foxes, the daily ration supply must achieve complete nutrition, fresh food, good palatability and an appropriate feeding amount. In the early gestation period of silver foxes, the feed energy is 550-600 kcal, with animal feed accounting for 65%-70%; in the late gestation period, the feed energy is 700-750 kcal, with animal feed accounting for 70%-75%, and the daily ration is 600-700 grams per animal. For arctic foxes it is 700-850 kcal, with animal feed accounting for 70%-75%, and the daily amount is 700-800 grams per animal. If feeding is improper, it will cause the fetus to be absorbed, and lead to stillbirth, rotten fetuses, miscarriage and other pregnancy problems.

(4) Grasp epidemic prevention and sterilization. The three major infectious diseases, canine distemper, viral enteritis and viral encephalitis, can be said to be the "nemesis" affecting the normal growth of foxes. In addition, common diseases that foxes are prone to, such as gastroenteritis, colds and pneumonia, will also bring certain economic losses to the fox farming industry. In response to these, we should adopt the policy of prevention being more important than treatment, combining prevention and treatment, and giving priority to prevention. Strengthen the veterinary health and epidemic prevention system, and cut off the routes by which external pathogens are introduced; strictly check feed quality, and guard the mouth so that disease does not enter through it; pay close attention to the health status of the herd, promptly discover sick animals, promptly diagnose them, and carry out regular preventive vaccination. At the same time, attention must also be paid to doing a good job of cleaning and hygiene in the fox sheds and to regular disinfection.